Bottle capping apparatus



Filed April 9, 1935 ll Sheets-Sheet l Kim INVENTOR April 19371 H. c. TAY'LOR 2,078,040

BOTTLE CAPPING APPARATUS Filed April 9-, 1935 i1 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 20, 1937. I H. c. TAYLOR 2,078,040

BOTTLE CAPPING' APPARATUS I Filed April 9, 1935 ll Sheets-Sheet 3 W E i INVENTOR April 20, 1937. H. c. "TAYLOR 2,073,040

BOTTLE CAPPIN APPARATUS I Filed April 9, 1935 l1 Sheets-Sheet 4v April 20, 1937.

H. C. TAYLOR BOTTLE CAPPING APPARATUS Filed April 9, 1935 11 s eets-sheet 5 April 20, 1937. H. c, TAYLOR 2,073,040

4 I BOTTLE CAPPING APPARATUS I Filed April 9, 1955 ll Sheets-Sheet 6 mvsmPR A ril 20, 1937. H. TAYLOR 2,078,040

BOTTLE CAPPING APPARATUS Filed April 9, 1935 1 ll Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR p 3 H. c. TAYLOR 2,078,040

BOTTLE CAPPING APPARATUS I Filed April 9, 1935 ll Sheets-Sheet 8 g INVENTOR .April 20 393 7 4 H. c. TAYLOR 2,073,94Q

BOTTLE CAPPING APPARATUS Filed April 9 1935 ll Sheets- Sheet 9 I I l I l l I I I y April 20, 1937. H. c. TAYLOR 2,073,040

BOTTLE CAPPING APPARATUS- Filed April 9, 1935 ll Sheets-Sheet 1.0

5 .j I I M a; g

April 20, 1937. H. c. TAYLOR BOTTLE CAPPING APPARATUS Filed April 9, 1935 11 Sheets-Sheet 11 WW M i0 Patented Apr. 20, 19 37 UNITED ,STATES 2,078,040 BOTTLE CAPPING APPARATUS Herbert Cyril Taylor, London, England, assignor to U. D.

Engineerin g Company Limited,

London, England, a British company Application April 9, 1935, Serial No. 15,409 In Great Britain July 9, 1934 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in or relating to filling and/or capping apparatus for bottles and like containers and is concerned with such apparatus of the type in which the bottles and other containers are fed on to a plurality of pedestals arranged around a rotatable carrier and during the rotation of the carrier the pedestals are raised to lift the bottles successively for the filling or capping operation. For filling the bottles, the carrier supports a container for the charging liquid and a plurality of valve control nozzles, one above each pedestal. For capping the bottles, the carrier supports a plurality of capping devices, one above each pedestal. The raising of the bottles brings them into co-operation with the nozzles or capping devices as the case may be.

Usually in apparatus of this type the pedestals are raised by means of a fixed cam and one object of the present invention is to provide improved means for raising and lowering the pedestals, and a feature of the invention consists in providing the apparatus of the type referred to, fluid-operating means for automatically lifting the pedestals carrying the bottles or the like during the rotation of the carrier, for filling and/or capping the bottles.

The invention further comprises a plurality of piston and cylinder devices one for each pedestal and valve means controlling the flow of operating fluid to and from each cylinder. In one form there is provided a valve member rotatable with the carrier and having at least one port communicating with each cylinder and a cooperating stationary valve member for directing the operating fluid to each cylinder in succession. Preferably, the rotatable valve member forms one wall of the chamber containing the operating fluid under pressure and the co-operating stationary valve member is located in this chamber and is urged into fluid-tight contact with the rotatable valve member by the fluid pressure in the chamber.

In another form of apparatus according to the invention the valve means aforesaid comprises a valve member rotatable with the carrier and having a plurality of valve chambers one for each cylinder and connected thereto by at least one fluid passage, a distributing valve in each valve chamber and a fixed cam operating the distributing valves successively as the carrier rotates. Preferably, the valve chambers are. arranged radialiy about the axis of rotation of the carrier andthe distributing valves are maintained in contact with the fixed cam by means of the operating fluid pressure at the other ends of the valve.

Preferably, according to the invention the piston and cylinder devices are of the double-acting type and the valve means serves automatically to apply operating fluid to opposite ends of each cylinder alternately to lift and lower each pedestal during rotation of the carrier. Preferably, the pedestal is directly mounted upon the piston rod of the piston and cylinder device associated therewith.

In the application of apparatus as aforesaid for bottle or like filling purposes there is provided a container for the substance to be delivered into the bottles mounted above the pedestals and having a plurality of valve-controlled discharge openings, one immediately from each pedestal, which valve-controlled openings are automatically opened by the bottle as it is raised by a fluid operated pedestal during rotation of the carrier.

In the application of the apparatus according to the invention for the purpose of capping the bottles or the like there is provided capping mechanism comprising a plurality of capping devices, one for each pedestal, to seal a cap on to the mouth of a bottle when raised by a fluid operated pedestal during the rotation of the carrier. A feature of the invention consists in providing a fiuid operated piston and cylinder device for operating each capping device and valve means as hereinbefore referred to for controlling the supply of operating fluid under pressure to the piston and cylinder devices in succession as the carrier rotates.

According to another feature of the invention there is provided in combination with the capapplying apparatus aforesaid means for feeding the bottles or the like to the cap-applying apparatus, cap-forming mechanism and means 40 automatically feeding the formed caps to the bottles as they are transferred to the cap-applying apparatus. Preferably, the cap-forming mechanism comprises means to feed the formed caps to take up an inclined position such that a bottle carried along to the cap-applying apparatus engages by its rim the edge of the cap to draw the latter on to the mouth of the bottle. A movable flap is preferably provided to smooth the cap on'the top of the bottle before the bottle reaches the cap-applying apparatus.

A further feature of the invention consists in providing means automatically to control the operation of the cap-forming apparatus according to the bottles being conveyed to the capapplying apparatus for the purpose of ensuring that the caps are only formed in such quantity as required by the bottles being fed through the apparatus.

In one specific form of the apparatus the filling apparatus, cap-applying apparatus and the cap-forming mechanism are formed as units assembled together with a driving gear to form a unit mechanism for the complete operation of filling and capping bottles or the like. By this construction, however, each unit of the apparatus is adapted for use separately.

One specific embodiment of the invention comprising both bottle filling apparatus and bottle capping apparatus together with cap-forming mechanism is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation, and

Figure 2 is a plan of the complete apparatus.

Figures 8 and 3a together form a cross-sectional view of the bottle filling apparatus taken on line 3-'-3 of Figures 2 and 4.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Figures 6 and 6a together form a cross-sectional view of the bottle capping apparatus taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is an enlarged section on line of Figure 6a.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8--8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an enlarged section on line 9-9 of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a section on line ||l--|0 of Figures 9 and 11.

Figure 11 is anunderneath view of the valve member shown in Figures 9 and 10.

Figure 12 is an elevation of cap-forming mechanism looking in the direction of the arrow l2 in Figure 2.

Figure 13 is a plan view taken from line |3--|3 of Figure 12.

Figure 14 is an elevation partly in section on line |4-|4 of Figure 12.

Figure 15 is a section on line l5-|5 of Figure 14, and Figure 16 is an enlarged detail view of control means for the cap-forming mechanism.

Figures 17 and 18 are sections on line ||-|l of Figure 16.

Like references indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring more especially to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the bottle filling apparatus indicated generally at III is for the most part rotatable about a vertical axis II and comprises a plurality of pedestals l2 equidistant from the axis II. The bottles are fed in at |3 on to an endless conveyor l4 the bottles being shown at IS. The bottles l5 are fed from the conveyor H on to the pedestals |2 of the filling apparatus by means of a rotatable star wheel 16 in conjunction with a. fixed guide H. The bottles are carried round on the pedestals l2 and after the filling operation has been completed the bottles are transferred back again to the conveyor M by means of another star wheel I8 operating in conjunction with a fixed guide 11. The bottles l5 are further carried along by the conveyor l4 to a star wheel l9 which in conjunction with a fixed guide 20 transfers filled bottles to pedestals 2| of the capping apparatus generally indicated at 22. This capping apparatus is for the most part rotatable about a vertical axis 23 as inthe case of the filling apparatus. The bottles are thus carried round on the pedestals 2| for the capping operation and are then removed from the capp ng paratus by means of a star wheel 24 operating in conjunction with the fixed guide 20 to discharge the filled and capped bottles from the machine at 25. A cap-forming mechanism 26 is provided to produce and to feed caps to the filled bottles as they are conveyed to the capping apparatus 22.

Filling apparatus Referring particularly to Figures 2, 3a, 4 and 5, mounted on a base 36 there is provided a fixed tubular bearing member 3| in which a pillar 32 is rotatably mounted. This pillar has secured to it a carrier plate 33 supporting at its periphery a plurality of double-acting piston and cylinder devices 34 each associated with a pedestal l2.

Each of the piston and cylinder devices 34 comprises a piston 35 movable in a vertical cylinder 36 and mounted on a piston rod 31 extending through a gland at the upper end of the cylinder and directly carrying the pedestal l2. The lower end of each cylinder 36 has a port 38 communicating by means of a passageway 39 in the plate 33 with a port 40 leading to a cylinder 4| of a distributing valve 42. Similarly at the upper end of each of the cylinders 36 there is provided a port 43 communicating by means of a passageway 44 in the plate 33 with a port 45 also communicating with the cylinder 4|. The plurality of cylinders 4| are radially formed in an annular member 46 secured to the carrier plate 33 and rotatable therewith.

Above the valve member 46 there is provided a plate 4'! rotatable with the valve member 46 and mounted with a fluid-tight joint 68 on a stationary vertical tube 48 supported at its lower end in a bracket 49. On this tube there is mounted a stationary cam 50 (Figures 3 and 5) engaging at its periphery the inner end of each of the distributing valves 42.

Within the stationary tube 48 and spaced therefrom there is provided an inner tube 5'! communicating at the bottom with a supply pipe 52 for operating liquid under pressure and open at the top into a chamber 54 above the valve member 46 and enclosed by a cover plate 53. Communicating with this chamber 54 there are provided for each valve chamber 4| inlet ports 55 and 56 respectively. Each of the valve chambers 4| also has an exhaust port 51 communicating with an annular passage 58 (Figure 5) in the plate 41 which annular passage communicates by means of a cross-duct 59 with a chamber 60 within the annular valve member 46 which is connected by means of ports 6| and the space between the inner and outer tubes 48 and 5| with a reservoir 62 formed by a housing 63 upon which the base 30 is mounted.

Each of the distributing valves 42 has two reduced portions 64 and 65 respectively and the outer end of each valve chamber is open at 66 for communication with the chamber 54 for the purpose described below.

In operation fluid such as oil under pressure is applied by means of the pipe 52 and the piston and cylinder devices 34 mounted on the pillar 32 are rotated by means of a gear wheel 61 mounted on the lower end of this pillar .and driven as hereinafter described and in the direction indicated by thearrow 69 in Figures 2 and 4.

The fluid under pressure supplied through the inner tube 5| to the chamber 54 operates through 4 the open end 66 oi. each of the 'valvechambers 4| to maintain the valve 42 in contact with the operating cam 56. This cam comprises two principal cylindrical portions 10 and II and corretus.

spending respectively to the opposite limits of the range of movement of the distributing valves 42 controlled by this cam.

At the inner position of each distributing valve 42 as determined by the portion 10 of the cam 50 the fluid under pressure in the chamber 54 is applied through the port 55 as shown at the left hand side of Figure 3 and around the reduced portion 64 of the distributing valve to the port 40 and from thence through the passage 36 and port 38 to the lower end or the cylinder 36 thus operating on the piston 35 to raise the pedestal I2. Exhaust fluid from the upper end of the cylinder is released through the port 43 and passage 44 to the port 45 of the valve chamber and from thence around the reduced portion 65 of the valve to the exhaust port 51, and finally flows away through the passages 58 and 59 to the space 60 and through the holes 6| to the inner side of the tube 48 down to the reservoir 62.

In the outer position of each distributing valve determined by the portion II of the cam the fluid under pressure in the chamber 54 is applied through port 56. as shown in the right hand side of Figure 3 around the reduced portion 65 of the valve to the port 45 and from thence through I the passage 44 to the port 43 of the cylinder 36 thus operating on the piston 35 to lower the pedestal I2. At the same time fluid exhausted from the lower part of cylinder 36 passes out through port 36 to passage 39 and port 40 around the reduced portion 64 of the distributing valve and through the exhaust port 51.

Thus as the filling apparatus is rotated the pedestals are raised and lowered at predetermined points in the rotary motion of the apparatus and determined by the cam 50.

Supported above the pedestals on pillars 12 mounted upon carrier plate 33 and rotatable therewith there is provided a container 13 (Figures 1, 2 and 3a) for the liquid, such as milk with which the bottles are to be filled and having a plurality of delivery valves 14 one corresponding to each of the pedestals I2 These valves 14 are spring closed and are automatically opened by the. engagement therewith of the mouth of the bottle raised on the supporting pedestal I2 in order automatically to deliver. a required quantity of milk into the bottle. Thus the bottles delivered on to the pedestal I2 of the filling apparatus are carried round therewith and as the rotary motion proceeds they are raised by the pedestals I2 to co-operate with the valves 14 to receive the required quantity of milk and are then lowered again by means of the pedestals ready to be discharged from the filling appara- Capping apparatus The capping apparatus 26 (see Figures 1, 2 and 6 to 8) is mounted upon a base I conveniently flush with the base 30 of the filling apparatus. The base I00 carries a vertical bearing MI in which a pillar I02 is rotatably mounted and is driven by means of a gear wheel I03 mounted on its lower end. The pedestal I02 is formed with a flange I04 at its upper end constituting a carrier for a plurality of piston and cylinder devices I 05 secured to the periphery of this flange. Each of these piston and cylinder devices comprises a piston I06 movable in a vertical cylinder I01 and carried upon a piston rod I06 extending through a gland at the upper end of the cylinder and supporting a pedestal 2| for receiving a bottle. Each of the cylinders I01 has a port I 03 at the lower end communicating by means of a passage I I0 in the flangei 04 with a port III in the upper face thereof. Similarly at the upper end of the cylinder I01 there is a port II2 communicating with a port H3 at the upper face of the flange I04. Thus there are two series of circularly arranged ports III and H3 in the top face of the flange I04 as shown in Figure 9.

Within the pillar I02 there is provided a stationary tube II4 carried at its lower end in a bracket II5. Non-rotatably mounted on the upper end of this tube II4 there is provided a valve member I I6, and a spring I I1 interposed between this valve member and a disc IIO secured to the upper end of the tube II4 serves to ensure that the valve member is maintained in case contact with the upper surface, of the flange Within the tube II4 there is provided two pipes an inner pipe H3 and an outer pipe I20 and operating fluid under pressure is supplied from pipe 52 to the space between the inner and outer pipes H9 and I20 and passes through radial passages I2I in the disc II8 to a chamber I22 above the valve member I I6 which chamber is closed by the lower enlarged end I23 of a column supporting capping devices as hereinafter described with reference to Figure 6a.

The valve member II6 has on its underside (see Figure 11) a groove I30 of circular form extending through an angle somewhat greater than 180 and arranged to overlie ports H3 and another groove I 3I of circular form extending through a smaller angle and arranged to overlie ports II I. These grooves-communicate by means of passages I32 and I33 respectively to the space I22 above the valve member. Other grooves I34 and I35 also arranged to overlie ports H3 and III respectively are interconnected and form an exhaust passage communicating with an opening I36 in the tube H4.

In operation the piston and cylinder devices I05 are carried around by rotation of the pillar I02 and operating fluid under pressure is supplied to the chamber I22 from the supply pipe 52. As a port H3 comes beneath the groove I3I in the valve member II6 the fluid under pressure is supplied through this groove, port III, the passage H0 and port I09 to the lower end of the cylinder I01 as shown at the left hand side of Figure 6 and moves the piston I08 upwardly thus raising the pedestal and a bottle thereon. Simultaneously fluid exhausted from the upper end of the cylinder flows through the ports H2 and H3 and then through groove I34 in the valve member to the space between tube II4 and pipe I20 down into the reservoir 62. A helical spring I25 is provided on each piston rod I08 in order to retard the motion of the piston near "the upper limit of its stroke.

When a port II3 comes into register with the groove I30 in the valve member II6, as shown at the right hand side of Figure 6, fluid under pressure is supplied through this groove and the ports I I2 and I I3 to the upper end of the cylinder I01 to return the piston and lower pedestal associated therewith. Simultaneously the port I II corresponding to this cylinder comes into register with the groove I35 in the valve member H3 so that fluid in the lower part of the cylinder I01 is exhausted through the port I09, passage H0 and the port III through this groove I35.

Thus the pedestals 21 are raised and lowered as the capping apparatus is rotated in the direction of the arrow I26 in Figures 2 and 9 and by reason of the comparative length of the grooves I30 and I3I in the valve member the pedestals are maintained in the upper position while moving through an angle of about 90 and are maintained in the lower position for substantially the remainder of each revolution.

Mounted on the standard I24 above the pedestal 2| there is provided mechanism for sealing caps on the bottles when raised by the pedestals. The caps employed are of the known construction formed of aluminium or other thin metal foil, and consist of a main circular part with a peripheral depending flange; As shown in Figure 6a there is carried upon the standard I24 a plate I40 to the periphery of which there is secured a plurality of cap-applying devices I one corresponding to each of the pedestals 2|. These capping devices are of the known kind in which the flange part of a cap as aforesaid previously placed over the mouth of the bottle is pressed tightly around the rim of the bottle to form a light seal. Each capping device comprises a tubular housing I42, a deformable rubber ring I43 therein and a retaining member I44 for the rubber ring. A tubular pressure member I45 is connected by means of pins I46 to a piston rod I41 secured toa piston I48 vertically movable in a cylinder I49 rigidly connected with the housing I42 and secured to the plate I40. Within the housing I42 and the deformable ring I43'there is provided a spring pressed plunger I50. As the bottle is raised by means of a pedestal 2i 9, cap previously applied to the mouth of a bottle engages with the plunger I50 which serves to hold the cap in position as the bottle continues to rise to bring the rim of the bottle within the deformable ring I43 as shown at the left-hand side of Figure 6a. When the bottle is in this position the ring I43 is deformed by downward movement of the pressure member I45 effected by means of the associated piston and cylinder de vice I48, I49 in order to press the cap tightly over the mouth of the bottle.

The piston and cylinder devices I48, I49 are of single acting type and the upper end of each cylinder communicates with a port I60 in the plate I 40 and connected by means of a passage I6I in a superimposed plate I62 with a port I63 in a valve chamber I84 of a distributing valve I64. An inlet port I65 is provided at the other side of the valve chamber. The several valve chambers I84 are radially formed in an annular member I66 fixed with respect to the plate I62 and enclosed by a cover I61 to provide a chamber I66 for fluid under pressure applied thereto by means of the central pipe II 9. The upper end of this pipe is sealed by means of a gland I69 in a stationary tube I within the standard I 14 and seated at its lower end on the disc II8. On this tube I10 a cam "I is non-rotatably mounted and engages with the inner end of each of the distributing valves I64 (see Figure '1) the other end of these valves being subject to the pressure of the fluid in the chamber I60 in order to maintain the valves in contact with the cam. A cover I12 is provided for the whole of the apparatus and is mounted on the plate I40.

In the inoperative condition of each of the capapplying devices the distributing valve I64 is at the inner position and the piston I40 is urged to its uppermost position by means of the resilient ring I43.

At the inner position of the valve I64 the corresponding port I63 registers with a reduced portion I14 of the valve and an exhaust passage for aovaoso fluid previously admitted to the cylinder I49 Is provided by means of flats I16 and I16 on the valve (see Figure 8), a recess I11 in the valve member I66, a recess I16 in the cam "I and. an opening I19 in the wall of the tube I10. The exhaust fluid thus passes down the tube I10 which communicates by means of a passage I60 in the disc II8 to the space for exhaust fluid from the piston and cylinder devices operating the pedestals 2| within the tube II4 so that it returns to the reservoir 62 in the base of the apparatus.

In the outer position of each distributing valve I64 fluid under pressure from the chamber I66 is supplied through the port I65, and through the port I63 around the reduced portion I14 of the valve and by way of the passage I6I and port I60 to the corresponding cylinder I49 to depress the piston I48 in order to perform the cap-fixing operation'.

Thus by the rotation of the apparatus the bottles are carried round on the pedestals 2I and during this rotary movement the bottles are raised by the pedestals and lowered again after the caps have been aflixed. When in the raised position the bottles are inserted into the corresponding capping devices which are carried round with the pedestals, and while the bottles are in this position the capping devices I are operated under the control of the cam ill to effect the capflxing operation. The cam I" is therefore so shaped as to render each capping device operative only for a short period commencing after a bottle has been fully raised on the corresponding pedestal 2| and terminating before the pedestal 2I is' lowered again. For each cylinder I49 there is provided a passage I8I for leakage of oil communicating with the interior of the standard I24 and through holes I82 into the exhaust passage within the tube I10.

Cap-forming mechanism The caps for the bottles are formed and automatically fed to the mouths of the bottles as they are fed on to the pedestals 2I of the capping apparatus. The cap-forming mechanism generally indicated at 26 is carried upon a framework 200 built up on a base 20I arranged adjacent to the base 22 of the capping apparatus. In

the upper part of the framework 200 (see Figures 12 to there is provided a reciprocating tool head 202 carrying a press tool 203 for forming the caps and pivotally connected to a strap 204 of an eccentric 205 carried on a rotatable shaft 206. The caps are formed from metal foil strip fed step by step from a reel 201 around guide rollers 200 and between the press-tool 203 and the co-operating tool 209 so that the caps are formed by successive downward movements of the tool 203.

A pin 2I0 carried by the slide 202 engages in a slot 2 in one arm of a bell-crank lever 2I2"(see Figure 1) pivotally mounted on a bracket 2I3 and at the extremity of the other arm of the bellcrank lever 2I2 there is provided a finger 2. The arrangement is such that the lever 2I2 is oscillated by the slide 202 so as to engage by means of the finger 2 I4 each cap produced by the tool 203 and deflect it on to an endless conveyor 2 I4. By means of this conveyor the caps are fed .to inclined chute 2I5 down which the caps slide to a position in which the cap is lightly retained by resilient fingers 2I6 (Figures 12 and 13) in an inclined position with the flange turned downwardly ready for application to the mouth of the bottle. The chute 2!5 is arranged over the path of the bottles as they are carried round by means of the star wheel !9 as shown in Figure 2 and at such a height that each bottle in its movement will engage the lower part of the flange of the cap retained by the fingers 2!6 so as to draw the cap away from the fingers 2 6 on to the mouth of the bottle. A pivoted flap 2!! is provided to smooth down the cap properly in position on the top of the bottles so that the bottle is then ready for transfer to the capping apparatus in which the cap is properly fixed in position to form the required seal. The bracket 2!3 is mounted for vertical adjustment on the frame 299 by means of a rack and pinion 2!8 (Figure 12) and locking screw 2!9 so as to adapt the cap feeding mechanism to bottles of different sizes.

The metal foil from which the caps are formed is fed forward step-by-step by means of rollers 229 in Figure 12 which rollers are driven through gearing 22 .by means of a ratchet wheel 222. Co-

operating with this ratchet wheel there is provided a pawl 223 carried on a pinion 224 which latter is in mesh with a rack 225 reciprocated by means of an eccentric 226 on a rotatable shaft 221. The shaft 296 operating the press tool and the shaft 22! operating the feeding means for the metal foil are driven in synchronism through bevel gearing indicated at 228 and 229 respectively by a vertical shaft 239. This shaft 239 is connected by a coupling 232 to a drive shaft 23! having a driving pinion 23!a (Figure 1) at its lower end. The cap-forming mechanism is driven through the pinion 23m in synchronism with the rotary movement of the filling and cap-applying apparatus so that a cap is formed for each of or full complement of bottles in the apparatus.

It is necessary to interrupt the forming of caps shouldthere be a gap in the succession of bottles fed into the apparatus because otherwise there would be an accumulation of caps which would upset the satisfactory operation of the apparatus. In order to prevent such an accumulation of caps means is provided to control the capforming mechanism by means of the bottles actually fed to the cap-applying apparatus. As shown in Figures 2, 12 and 16 a curved lever 249 is mounted on a rotatable shaft 24! carried in its fixed bracket 242 (Figure 12). At the lower end of the shaft 24! there is an arm 243 (Figure 16) engaging with one end of a plunger 244 slidable in a housing 245 on the frame 299. The other end of the rod 244 engages with a valve 245 slidable in a valve housing 246 to which fluid under pressure is applied through a port 24! by means or" a pipe connection (not shown) to the feed pipe 52. An outlet port 249 from the valve chamber is connected by means of a pipe 249 to the lower end of a cylinder 259 (Figure 14) containing a piston 25! and a piston rod 252 connected thereto extending out from the top of the cylinder. On the piston rod 252 there is mounted a deflecting member 253 adapted to be moved into the path of a radial member 254 carried in a boss 255 rigid upon the shaft 239. The radial member 254 has a shoulder 256 normally engaging, under the action of av spring 259, an annular lip 25'! on a boss 258 secured to the shaft 23!. The lip 25'! has an inward projection 269 (Figure 15) which normally engages with the radial member 254 so that rotation of the shaft 23! is also imparted to the shaft 239.

In operation so long as bottles are continually being fed round by the star wheel !9 the curved lever 249 is maintained in the position shown in Figure 16 and the valve 48 is consequently maintained in its left-hand position as shown in Figure 17 by means of the fluid pressure acting upon the free end of the valve member 245. The fluid under pressure is also applied through this port 24! and around the reduced portion 26! of the valve to the port 248 and from thence through pipe 249 to the cylinder 259 in order to hold the piston 25! in its uppermost position against the action of a return spring 262. In this position the deflector 253 is clear of the radial member 254 and the drive for the cap-forming apparatus continues uninterrupted. Should a bottle be absent from one of the spaces between projections of the star wheel !9 then the curved lever 249 is permitted to swing outwardly and thereby to permit the valve 248 to move to the left in Figure 17 to the position shown in Figure 18 in which the fluidunder pressure applied through the port 24'! is only active upon the end of the valve and does not reach the pipe 249. Simultaneously the pipe 249 is connected by means of a valve with an exhaust port 262, thus permitting the piston to movement the deflecting member 253 is brought into the path of the radial member 254 which is engaged by the inclined surface 253a and is moved inwardly'against the action of the spring 259 so that the shoulder 256 becomes free of the projection 269 so that the shaft 23! continuesto rotate without driving'the shaft 239 and the cam forming mechanism temporarily comes to a standstill. In this manner the cap-forming mechanism is controlled automatically to produce caps only when there are bottles going through the machine to receive such caps.

Referring more especially to Figures 1 and 2 the base members 39, I99 and 29! of the several-units of the apparatus are conveniently assembled on the housing 63 which also constitutes a reservoir for the operating fluid, such as oil. Also mounted on this housing there is provided a driving,

unit 399 comprising an electric motor 39! driving, through an endless V belt andopulleys 392, a main shaft 393. The shaft 393 drives through the chain and sprocket gearing 394, a pump 395 supplying the operating fluid under pressure by way of the pipe 52. The pump also supplies fiuid at a reduced pressure by means of pipe 396 to the lower end of the inner tube !!9 of the capping apparatus as shown in Figures 6 and 6a. for the operation of the capping devices as it is preferred to employ somewhat lower pressure for this purpose.

The shaft 393 also drives through sprocket gearing 39! a worm 398 meshing with a worm wheel 399 mounted on a vertical spindle having at its lower end within the housing 53 a pinion 3! 9. This pinion 3!9 drives the gear !93 of the capping apparatus through an intermediate gear wheel 3!!. The gear wheel l93 drives the gear wheel 6'! of the filling apparatus through an intermediate gear 3!2 and is also directly in mesh with a gear wheel 3!3 driving a spind1e'3l4 on which the star wheel 24 is mounted. This spindle 3!4 also serves to drive the conveyor 4 through a bevel gearing 3!5 a horizontal shaft 3!6 coupled by gearing 3!! driving a spindle 3!8 carrying a sprocket 3!9 (Figure 1) engaging with and operating the conveyor !4. The gear wheel I93 of the cap-applying mechanism is also in mesh with a gear wheel 329 (Figure 1) on a rotatable driving spindle 32! supporting the star ion 23in of the cap-forming mechanism through an intermediate gear 332.

The gear wheel 61 of the filling apparatus is also directly in mesh with gear wheels 333 and 334 for driving the star wheels I6 and I8 respectively.

Thus it will be understood that by means of the complete apparatus as hereinbefore described the empty bottles fed in at the charging position at 13 are conveyed through the apparatus and are automatically filled, for instance with milk, sealed with a cap and delivered at the discharge end 25 without any manual operation being required, the caps also being formed and fed automatically to the bottles. Apart from the rotary drive for the filling apparatus, capping apparatus and the cap-forming mechanism, the whole of the apparatus is controlled hydraulically with the advantage that the apparatus is comparatively quiet in operation and that the possibility of a breakdown due to the breakage of a bottle is very largely eliminated as the pressure applied at any point is limited by the fluid pressure used for the operation of the apparatus.

In the specific example hereinbefore described the complete apparatus is built up of a plurality of units and any one or more of these units may be employed separately. Thus, for example, the filling apparatus, may be employed alone or again the cap-forming mechanism may be omitted and the caps may in this instance be applied either by hand or automatically from a magazine.

Furthermore it will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the details of construction described in the foregoing specific embodiment and for instance in either the filling apparatus or the capping apparatus the valve control means may consist of a disc valve or a campperated series of individual distributing valves as desired.

I claim:-

1. In apparatus of the class described, container manipulating means comprising the combination of a fixed central supporting column having passageways for fluid therein, a carrier rotatable about said column comprising passageways cooperating with the passageways in the supporting column, a plurality of pedestals distributed around the carrier and movable therewith, means for feeding the containers onto the pedestals as the carrier rotates, cooperating means mounted on the carrier above the pedestals and rotatable with the carrier, a plurality of piston and cylinder devices connected with the passageways in the carrier each mounted on the carrier and operatively connected to one of said pedestals and a valve member rotatable with said carrier and having at least one port communicating with each cylinder, which valve member forms one wall of a chamber on said carrier and containing operating fluid under pressure, a cooperating valve member fixed to the supporting column and located in said chamber and urged into fluid tight contact with the rotatable valve member by the fluid pressure in the chamber, and a plurality of ports in said stationary valve member for directing fluid through said rotatable valve member to each cylinder in succession to raise the associated pedestal and container thereon into operative relation with said manipulating means as the carrier is rotated.

2. Apparatus for applying caps to containers comprising a fixed central supporting column, a carrier rotatable about said column, a plurality of pedestals distributed around the carrier and movable therewith, capping devices mounted on the carrier above the pedestals and rotatable with the carrier, means for feeding containers onto the pedestals as the carrier is rotate; and fluid operative means automatically lifting the pedestals to bring the containers into operative position in relation to the capping devices and operating said capping devices to apply a cap to a container when in the raised position comprising walls in said central column forming a passageway for fluid, walls in said carrier forming passageways cooperating with the passageway in said column and a valve member rotatable with said carrier and having a plurality of valve chambers, one cooperating with each passageway, a plurality of distributing valves, one in each of said valve chambers, and a cam fixed to the supporting column operating said distributing valves successively as the carrier rotates.

3. Apparatus for applying caps to containers comprising a fixed central supporting column, a carrier rotatable about said column, a plurality of pedestals distributed around the carrier and movable therewith, capping devices mounted on the carrier above the pedestals and rotatable with the carrier, means for feeding containers onto the pedestals as the carrier is rotated and fluidoperative means automatically lifting the pedestals to bring the containers into operative position in relation to the capping devices and operating said capping devices to apply a cap to a container when in the raised position, comprising walls in said central column forming a passageway for fluid, walls in said carrier forming passageways cooperating with the passageway in said column and a valve member rotatable with the carrier and having a plurality 01' valve chambers, one cooperating with each passageway, which valve chambers are radially arranged about the axis of rotation 01' the carrier, distributing valves movable in said valve chambers, a cam fixed to said supporting column cooperating with one end of each of said distributing valves successively as the carrier rotates, and means for applying fluid under pressure on the other end of each of said valvesto maintain said valves in contact with the said cam.

4. Apparatus for applying caps to containers comprising a fixed central supporting column, a carrier rotatable about said column, a plurality of pedestals distributed around the carrier and movable therewith, means for feeding the containers onto the pedestals as the carrier rotates, capping devices mounted on the carrier above the pedestals and rotatable with the carrier, a plurality of piston and cylinder devices each mounted on the carrier and operatlvely connected to one of said pedestals, walls in said central column forming a passageway for fluid, walls in said carrier forming a group of passageways connecting said central passage with said capping devices, further walls in said carrier forming a second group of passageways connecting said central passageway with said piston and cylinder devices, valve means for controlling the flow of fluid to said capping devices, and additional valve means for controlling the fiow of fluid to said piston and cylinder devices.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein one of said valve means is constituted by a valve member rotatable with said carrier and having a plurality of valve chambers, one cooperating with each passageway in one of said groups, a plurality of distributing valves, one in each of said valve 5 of said valve means is constituted by a valve member rotatable with the carrier and having a plurality of valve chambers, one cooperating with each passageway in one of said groups, which valve chambers are radially arranged about the axis of rotation of the carrier, distributing valves movable in said valve chambers, a. cam fixed to said supporting column cooperating with one end of each of said distributing valves successively as the carrier rotates, and means for applying fluid under pressure on the other end of each of said valves to maintain said valves in contact with said cam.

HERBERT CYRIL TAYLOR. 

